


The roundabout way

by Keuukiel (FragilityandWaveringEmotions)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Possibly catfishing?, fake dating kinda, other characters briefly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:27:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25169941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FragilityandWaveringEmotions/pseuds/Keuukiel
Summary: The guys decide to make Ignis a dating profile, only Noctis secretly responds...
Relationships: Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 18
Kudos: 77





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! Thank you for giving this a read. Should be 2 or 3 chapters long. Hope you like it!

Gladio slapped his thigh. His laughter roaring through Noctis’ apartment. “No. Seriously, you can’t put that. There’re ways you can bend the truth, but it sure as hell ain’t that.”

Ignis eyed the crowd curiously from where he stood at the kitchen counter, clearing up after everyone’s mess. He knew what they were doing. His friend’s had implied numerous times they would take matters into their own hands should he continue to show no interest in dating. 

Only, that wasn’t the case at all. Opportunities had arisen, but he had always chosen not to pursue them. Finding sexual partners for a night here and there had never been an issue either. Not that he ever spoke about such encounters to his friends.

It was a comfortable and familiar system to him now, after years of non-attachment. If someone wanted to become exclusive, he cut them from his roaster of partners.

There was just no one he wanted to form an emotional connection with when his heart had known for several years who he wanted.

It had always been Noctis. Always.

Every second of his life was devoted to Noctis in its entirety. He would do anything needed or wanted of him, going above and beyond like it was nothing at all. Though duty brought them together, it was love that made him persevere through every challenge and obstacle. Only such these feelings weren’t shared. Noctis’ affections were exclusive to Lady Lunafreya and Ignis couldn’t nor wanted to compete. 

And that’s why it hurt so badly that Noctis was the one manning the laptop. Well, to the most part. 

“Prompto, I’m not posting that Specs has a sexy booty ready for tapping-”

“What?! Bro, he’s totally got-”

“No!”

_Oh, Astrals, please show me mercy._

He pinched the bridge of his nose, doing his best to remain calm. Voicing his objection would only make them continue in ‘secret’ and he’d already hidden Noctis laptop charger so this idea of fun couldn’t continue indefinitely. Besides, Noctis had at least been considerate enough to set up the dating profile using Ignis’ personal email address so it would be easy enough to delete the offending profile. There was also no fee for the first fourteen days so there was no risk there either as it most certainly wouldn’t last the night. 

“Oh! We gotta put he’s husbando material! He’ll totally-”

“No, Prompto… Geez, where the hell do you pick that stuff up?” Noctis sighed, pushing his friend away from the keyboard and resuming the typing himself, looking far too deep in thought for the matter at hand. 

If only he looked this focused during council meetings, Ignis thought to himself. Though now he knew Noctis was capable of such focus, despite distractions, he would have no excuses in the future.

Another twenty minutes of torture, hearing all the frankly disheartening ways that his friends saw him, the hilarity had worn off. The laughter trickling to a few sniggers here and there, with the odd snort in between. 

He didn’t say much else for the remainder of his time there but once his only use as cleaning services was complete, he silently removed his ‘stuck up attitude’ and ‘pert hiney’ from the apartment so none of them would be plagued by his obviously difficult to be around persona. 

At least Noctis got one thing right; he was gay. How Noctis knew Ignis didn’t know because he’d never disclosed his sexual orientation to any of his friends. Even when the others laughed, Noctis silenced them and proceeded with the ‘male seeking male’ option selected.

In bed, he couldn’t wind down. He thought several times of messaging Noctis to apologise for his rude departure, but every time he questioned himself why he still believed he owed that to Noctis after the disrespect he’d shown him this evening. 

At twenty past eleven and still wide awake, Ignis gave in and reached for his mobile off the nightstand, but the notification on screen caused him to still. 

_‘Congratulations, Ignis! Your profile on Moogster is now live! Why not look for singles in your area?’ ___

__

__Initially, he went to tap delete, but the urge to see what the other’s had settled on won over, so instead, he followed the link to open his profile on the browser._ _

__The first thing that struck him was the rather charming photo they’d selected. He’d expected it to be something unflattering from one of Prompto’s candid shots, but he was met by an image of him smiling at the camera with a glass of red wine in hand. He recalled the night fondly. It was Noctis’ twentieth birthday that they had all gone to Galdin Quay to celebrate and unwind. He’d spent a large portion of the evening sat beside Noctis while Prompto took advantage of the free-flowing alcohol and Gladio and joined him, though showed a little restraint._ _

__The second thing that struck him was his profile read nothing like the insulting descriptions that had flung around so carelessly earlier. Though he had no confirmation, he liked to think that it was Noctis’ doing._ _

__

___Hello and thank you for taking the time to look at my profile._ _ _

___I’m Ignis, 22, gay and financially stable. It is important to note that my work takes up a significant portion of my time so I cannot commit to frequently being together, at least, not in the early days. Do not try to pry me from my work or compete with its importance to me. My employment is a part of my identity and I take great pride in carrying out my duties to their fullest._ _ _

___My intentions of joining are to look for a friend initially before committing to anything long term and strictly no ‘hookups’. I want someone who will take their time to get to know me, something which I will repay in kind. Ultimately, I would like to find ‘the one’ to settle down with and eventually have a family together._ _ _

___My hobbies include stargazing, fashion, baking, consuming coffee and long strolls to gather my thoughts._ _ _

___My ideal date would be to a coffee shop, sharing light chatter as we get to know each other, perhaps followed by another activity should time permit._ _ _

___If this aligns with what you are looking for in a partner, then I look forward to your message._ _ _

___Please get to know me before asking anything considered particularly personal._ _ _

___I look forward to hearing from you._ _ _

___Ignis_ _ _

___x_ _ _

__

__All the frustration and anger that he’d experienced this evening melted away into nothing. If this was how Noctis saw him, then he would embrace it and cherish it. Though a dating profile it may be, it was beautiful because it reflected him so accurately. While it had been a team effort, Noctis was the one who ultimately created it._ _

__He went to send the message apologising for his abrupt departure, only this time he was interrupted by another Moogster notification._ _

__

___‘You’ve received a match! Say hi to Luciel Noire?’_ _ _

__

__That gave him cause for confusion. Though he tried not to jump to any conclusions, that name sounded unmistakably feminine and Accordian if he were to add another label. But low and behold, upon tapping the notification, Luciel Noire was indeed a man seeking another man. His profile photo being a sophisticated silhouette outlining a man in a suit, though it cut off at his shoulders._ _

__Ignis understood the reservations. Had it been him creating a dating profile, he would never put his face clearly on show either. Privacy had always been of the utmost importance to him._ _

__Intrigued, he continued. It wasn’t like he had anything to lose._ _

__

___Hello and welcome to my profile._ _ _

___I’m Luciel, 20, gay, and an employed professional located in Insomnia. My workdays can be varied, but once I’m home, I like to unwind and I’m hopeful I will find someone to join me. I understand other commitments can take priority, but so long as you make me your priority when we’re together, then I’m fine with how long it is between seeing one another._ _ _

___I’m looking for something long term so don’t contact me for one-night stands or send anything flirtatious in my DMs unless we’ve already connected. I rarely consume alcohol, so someone with a similar intake would be preferable._ _ _

___My hobbies mostly lay outside of the city, so I travel out of Insomnia a few times a year mainly for fishing, festivals and stargazing._ _ _

___My ideal date would include just us, cuddled on the sofa after sharing a home-cooked meal._ _ _

___If I sound like the kind of person you would be interested in, message me._ _ _

___Luciel_ _ _

__

__Ignis drew a breath. Was this really the type of person he attracted? Someone so similar to Noctis and yet with an air of sophistication that felt like they could be on similar levels?_ _

__It felt almost cruel._ _

__He wanted to block them and cease all contact with Luciel here and now before anything could be established, but his thumb hovered over the button, unable to bring himself to tap the screen._ _

__What if this was the person who could make him move on from his unrequited love?_ _

__What if Luciel was the one? He wouldn’t know if he didn’t take a chance… With a deep breath and feeling he was going to regret this, he tapped the match request, prompting the direct message box to appear now that they were mutual’s._ _

__

__**Ignis**   
_Good evening. Thank you for showing interest in my profile. I look forward to getting to know you._ _ _

__

__He let out a breath he’d been holding. Okay, that wasn’t as difficult as he’d thought it would be._ _

__It was now half eleven, but no doubt Noctis would still be gaming, so Ignis tapped on his messaging app and on Noctis’ name._ _

__

__**[Iggy - 11:37]**   
_I wanted to apologise for my earlier reaction. I never meant to leave in such a manner. It was an overreaction on my part. Coincidently, I read the profile you all made me and I am surprised how accurate a reflection of me it is. Thank you. I also received a match already, and I’ve replied as I’ve nothing to lose. I would like to ask though, do you truly intend for me to pursue this avenue?_ _ _

__

__There was no way he would sleep anytime soon, so he sat up in bed, propping his pillow up behind him and turning the light on. Retrieving his glasses from their case was the ultimate sign he was far from being able to sleep anywhere in the coming hour or so._ _

__

__**[Noct - 11:38]**   
_Nah. It’s fine. I knew why you left. Glad you like the profile and yeah I want you to. I want you to be happy Specs._ _ _

__

__If only you knew that you are my happiness already._ _

__

__**[Iggy - 11:39]**   
_Very well. I’ll give it a chance as you went to all the effort for me. Sleep well, Noct. See you in the morning._ _ _

__**[Noct - 11:40**   
_Yeah. Cool. Night Specs. Think I’m have an early one too._ _ _

__

__It was brief, but his contact with Noctis almost always was._ _

__As always, he couldn’t say no to Noctis._ _

__~_ _

__Noctis stumbled around his apartment, trying to find his laptop charger. How it ended up hidden by comics he didn’t know, but he couldn’t miss this opportunity. This is possibly the first time in his life that he’d had the chance to be on the same level as Ignis and wasting this chance now would only lead to regret. Well, most likely._ _

__He liked Ignis. He always had. Ignis kinda weirdly went through an awkward teenage stage, but when he came out the other side of it, Ignis was all Noctis could think about._ _

__He knew he was spoiled having Ignis in his life because no guy would ever be as perfect as him, and this plan was all levels of wrong, but he’d tried ridiculously hard to capture Ignis attention. Some attempts were even really obvious like walking around topless, even landing a bit submissively in training and pulling Ignis on top of him by ‘accident’. Then there was the valentine’s card and baking things he’d hunted down secretly, and Ignis didn’t even seem to pay any notice. It had been given anonymously though, so that was probably the issue._ _

__This plan was already further than he’d hoped for. Neither Gladio nor Prompto knew his motivation behind wanting to get Ignis a Moogster account, and he wasn’t going to tell them either. No matter how many times he’d thought about this plan, it always ended with Ignis deleting the account before accepting the match with Luciel Noire. Not the most creative name, but it was the best he could think of that wasn’t too far from the truth._ _

__He’d set himself rules for this. The most important being that he couldn’t lie about anything except his name. Everything else had to have truth behind it, with necessary white lies weaved here and there, but ultimately, Luciel Noire would be him. Just elusive._ _

__

__**Luciel**   
_You too. Thanks for accepting the match. I wasn’t sure if you would be available this time of night, so don’t put yourself out if you need to get to bed. Otherwise, I’m around for a while if you’re up for chatting tonight?_ _ _

__

__Noctis’ hand shook._ _

__He didn’t like lying to anyone, but especially Ignis._ _

__Sat cross-legged on the sofa with his laptop precariously balanced on his lap and a can of fizzy something or other to his side, he was ready for a night of learning about Ignis. Ignis who wasn’t sworn to him by an oath._ _

__

__**Ignis**   
_I’m a little unpredictable surrounding my availability and I have no consistent hours to speak of that are ever opportune for socialising. However, I will get back to you as and when I can. Patience is one of the main qualities I seek in these encounters._ _ _

__**Luciel**   
_I relate to that so no worries here. My line of work means one day could be nothing but meetings, then the next I have to travel offsite so I’m not guaranteed to be available either. Anyway, stargazing. Do you any favourite spots?_ _ _

__**Ignis**   
_That’s a tough question as there are a few I’m particularly fond of and that holds special memories of times shared with my dearest friend, but I would most definitely say almost anywhere beyond the wall. While Insomnia offers safety, the blue hue encasing the city offers little to someone who enjoys admiring the stars._ _ _

__

__Noctis smiled. He was Ignis’ dearest friend. Maybe that was all they could be and sure, he wanted more, but Ignis hadn’t ever called him a ‘dearest friend’ to his face. If nothing else, tonight was worth it for that._ _

__

__**Luciel**   
_Same here. I still do, though. My favourite place is the camp haven at Galdin Quay. Probably my favourite spot in Lucis. Did you see the meteor shower over Insomnia a few weeks ago?_ _ _

__

__Noctis knew the answer. It had been almost three in the morning, but that night Ignis had stayed at his and they waited on the balcony, each armed with a steaming mug of Ebony to keep them warm. It was freezing, but they huddled close, and for once Ignis hadn’t rushed to put distance between them. It was comfortable and Noctis’ smiles were returned. At the time he’d thought they were making progress, but the next day, Ignis was back in advisor mode and the closeness hadn’t been achieved since apart from during Noctis’ training ‘accidents’._ _

__

__**Ignis**   
_Luckily I did. I was able to view it with my friend I mentioned earlier. We always make an occasion out of meteor showers. Were you able to view it?_ _ _

__**Luciel**   
_I did. It was beautiful. I was staying with a friend that night myself, so we waited up for it. Sounds like you and your friend are close?_ _ _

__

__Was that too much to ask? Or too soon? He wasn’t sure. He didn’t have any experience in these types of things._ _

__

__**Ignis**   
_He is. We grew up together as children, and now we’re colleagues. However, he has no interest in me if that is what concerns you._ _ _

__

__Noctis choked, spluttering his drink down himself. Dumping the can on the side, he thumped his chest, grateful that nothing went on the laptop. He could change his top, but explaining the laptop getting damaged would be another thing._ _

__How the hell did Ignis think he had no interest in him?! After everything?!_ _

__Did he have to strut around naked or walk around with a post-it note on his forehead with ‘I’m GAY’ written boldly on it?_ _

__Seriously, what would it take for Ignis to wake up and realise?_ _

__The worst part, Luciel couldn’t even encourage him because he was meant to be pursuing him._ _

__If nothing else, he understood why things weren’t working out as planned now. Simply put, Ignis was romantically dense. Really dense._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the poor formatting. AO3 killed my code and keeps resetting T.T


	2. Chapter 2

**Luciel**

_Has anyone ever told you how beautiful your eyes are?_

Ignis pushed the phone away. It was the middle of the day and hardly appropriate to be looking at messages on Moogster, not to mention Noctis was barely ten feet away from him messaging Prompto about some game they shared a mutual interest in.

Truth be told, over the past few days he’d received a number of compliments from Luciel. Some were commenting on his appearance, others addressing his finer tastes in life, but all rather sweet and far more attentive than he would have expected from someone on the internet. He was quite enjoying the attention, though there were no feelings of love blossoming inside him just yet.

Luciel was an interesting man. He was younger by only two years, yet sometimes it was apparent while others it was easy to forget. He was a considerate young man, who seemed interesting in his own way, and it was nice to have someone to chat to that wasn’t part of his usual camaraderie, but there was something about Luciel that Ignis couldn’t put his finger on that left him with a sense that he had to remain guarded. 

He knew all about being careful on the internet, and he highly doubted Luciel was trying to exploit a member of the Crownsguard as neither Ignis nor his profile had stated his place of employment, nor had Noctis used his real surname when creating the account, but the doubt remained. It was subtle at first, but sometimes when Ignis returned a personal question, it felt like Luciel was trying to steer the conversation direction and away from himself. It wasn’t a loss on Ignis’ part, given he’d had no intention of finding romance in the first place, though the element of hope of getting over Noctis lingered.

Noctis to the most part had also been quite coy. Here and there he would snoop, wanting to know about how his dating endeavours were coming along and he almost seemed to have more interest in Luciel than he did and that gave him pause for thought. Noctis had teased a few times about logging in and sending Luciel a flirty message, so Ignis took the initiative and changed his password, though he didn’t put it past his friend stealing the device as he pottered around the apartment. 

Ignis gave Noctis a glance out of the corner of his eye to not risk drawing attention to his actions. It seemed as though Noctis was busy enough in whatever conversation he was having with Prompto, so he reached for his phone ready to supply the lie that he was responding to an email if questioned and tapped on Luciel’s message.

**Ignis**

_Thank you, though I cannot deny I would like to see these ocean blue one of yours you tell me of._

He gave Noctis another glance, who looked indifferent as ever. Satisfied his charge was none the wiser, Ignis set his phone down only to freeze the moment Noctis called out to him.

“Iggy, can you come and look at my eye? There’s something irritating it,” Noctis said, rubbing his left eye with his fingers.

“Certainly,” Ignis replied, abandoning his phone on the counter and walking over to Noctis, crouching in front of him.

He leant in close, conscious of just how close they were. 

“I apologise if my hand is cold, I’ve just been rinsing the potatoes for lunch,” Ignis said as his hand gently angled Noctis’ head so he could see into his left eye better. 

Astral’s, Noctis had the most beautiful eyes, like that of the ocean he so loved at Galdin Quay.

“Blink for me, Noct.”

“Like this?” he asked, blinking with bug eyes each time and leaning closer. “See anything yet?”

_Besides perfection?_

“Unfortunately not,” Ignis said, tilting Noctis’ face towards the window to get better light, but he still couldn’t see anything. “Would you like me to sterilise the eye bath-”

“Nope. I’m good,” Noctis said, pulling away and putting as much distance between them as the sofa allowed. “I’ll just keep blinking. So, no eye baths.”

“It might help.”

“It won’t.”

“Fair enough,” Ignis said, standing back up and raising his hand out in front of him. He wasn’t in the mood for arguments and he knew once Noctis opposed something, getting him to change his mind was near impossible. “Though if you change your mind, let me know.”

Noctis shook his head, looking at Ignis in a way that said ‘bring that damn thing near me and I’ll warp out into the street’. He knew the look well given Noctis pulled it every time vegetables were visible on the kitchen counter.

By the time he made it back to his phone, he’d already received a reply from Luciel.

**Luciel**

_If we meet, you can look at them all you like._

Ignis smiled at that. It was comforting in some ways. He had a weakness for intimacy, though it was probably because he’d always been selective about who could share such encounters with him.

Maybe Luciel could win his heart with enough time and opportunity to do so. 

Another glance in Noctis’ direction seeing the way his smile reached his eyes, Ignis felt a touch of jealousy. Some days he wished to be more like Prompto so that he could make Noctis feel such joy. Still, he was glad to witness it.

  
  
  
  


Today marked the one week mark of online dating Ignis and Noctis weren’t sure if this really had been a good idea. Not only was he falling even deeper for Ignis, but seeing this side of him so freely expressed made him kinda jealous of everyone else who got to interact with him. It also made him wonder if Ignis actually had dated before because he didn’t seem awkward about this at all.

He knew Gladio dated. A lot. And he knew Prompto failed to date. A lot. But Ignis was always silent about this kind of thing, and maybe they’d all been a bit naïve to assume Ignis hadn’t dated. If he asked as himself it was unlikely Ignis would tell him because of ‘code of conduct’ or whatever, but if he asked as Luciel, he had a chance.

Tonight was the night that he would get to know Ignis better. He’d been building up to it over the past week, learning about what Ignis liked to do outside of work. Noctis had always assumed Ignis would be an avid reader like Gladio, but it turns out that outside work, the only reading he does revolves around the news or cooking blogs and sometimes men’s fashion magazines. 

At least now it made sense why Ignis was the best dressed out of them all because unlike everyone else, he actually cared about what he wore.

He’d also discovered Ignis used to have an allotment to grow his own vegetables to unwind when he first moved into his current apartment, but after weeks of neglect here and there, he gave it to a neighbour who could make better use of the land. Nowadays he’s reduced his efforts to growing herbs on his windowsill. 

Never in a million years would Noctis have guessed Ignis did gardening. It was just a hobby that seemed to take up a ridiculous amount of time for so little in return, but there must be some value to it that he didn’t understand.

So it seems, despite spending most of his life beside Ignis, there was so much he didn’t know about him, and that was kinda exciting.

Tonight it was gone ten and until now Noctis had resisted the urge to load up Moogster because he knew when Ignis left that he wanted to finish a report before taking a bath and Noctis wanted Luciel to be liked rather than an annoyance. But this torture felt like it had gone on long enough.

**Luciel**

_Am I interrupting? I know you mentioned that you might be busy tonight._

Noctis nodded, pleased with himself. He was getting into the swing of this now, blending himself with a more suave version of himself.

**Ignis**

_Not at all. I was just getting comfortable for the evening. How was your day?_

Noctis hummed. He knew that was code for ‘I just got out the bath and I was naked with droplets falling from the strands of my hair onto my taut and fucking sexy chest but now I’ve ruined it with boxers’. The imagery was lovely. He’d accidentally seen Ignis naked after training sessions, so he knew how hot the guy looked after all his fashionable stuff.

**Luciel**

_Same. I’m finally out of a suit and tie and laying in bed wondering about you. My day was exhausting. Meetings ran over and a project I’m working on is undergoing scrutiny, so I’ve been looking forward to unwinding with you tonight. How was your day?_

**Ignis**

_Not much better than yours, I’m afraid to say. I’ve spent most of my day at my desk writing reports and proposals not to mention two arduous meetings that frankly left me questioning my will to live but it’s nothing Ebony cannot fix and of course, I looked forward to speaking with you._

Okay, that made him break out in laughter. The Ignis he knew would never complain like that about council meetings, but they really were difficult to stay awake through today. What felt like a discussion that could be reasonably finished in twenty minutes with a compromise here and there turned into a full debate that went so off-tangent that he’d completely forgotten what the initial objective was.

Geez, he liked this carefree Iggy.

**Luciel**

_Proposals, you say? You romantic._

**Ignis**

_I’ve been known to be romantic, I’ll have you know._

Bingo! Or if Prompto was here, ‘hi there, opening!’

**Luciel**

_So you’re a romantic? Tell me about it._

**Ignis**

Just because I have romantic intentions doesn’t mean I’m successful. 

**Luciel**

If either of us were successful, would we even know each other? So, tell me your stories and I’ll tell you mine. 

Noctis’ heart raced. Under normal circumstances, he would never be this confident to say things like this, but under the guise of Luciel, he could get away with quite a lot. There was still an ounce of guilt involved, but right now he was hooked on learning all these new things about Ignis.

**Ignis**

_Very well. I suppose I should tell you about one of my friends. He was my first crush and how I came to realise I was gay, though that came later on. We grew up together and as a child he had a pastry in Tenebrae but with nothing similar in Lucis, I spent over a decade trying to recreate said pastry. There will never be anything between us as unlike me he’s no interest in men, but he’ll always be my first. Now it’s your turn._

He blinked. And again. And once again.

Where was the punchline? Or the lol at the end? 

He shook his head, fighting the urge to phone Ignis and just shout about how they’re both gay disasters and how they’ve wasted so many years, but he couldn’t. Simply put, he had to carry on like he was none the wiser.

But how the hell could he ever act normal now he knew Ignis liked him too? And yeah, he’d never thought about it before, but ten years baking the same thing repeatedly to make it perfect was kind of romantic.

“Holy shit, what else have I missed?” 

Conscious of how long he was taking, he tapped to respond. Thumb shaking.

**Luciel**

_That determination is something to be admired. Your friend is lucky to have someone like you interested in him._

**Ignis**

_Thank you for saying so, though I have my doubts he would share such beliefs. As we work together, he gets very little time away for me and I’m known as a nag amongst our friends. I try to give him more space nowadays to lift his mood._

Noctis facepalmed. For someone who was meant to be a genius, Ignis was an idiot too. Not that he was much better spending all this time with Ignis and never realising there were feelings behind his obligations. For years he’d felt like a burden, but apparently he wasn’t.

**Ignis**

_Now then, Mister Noire, you told me this was an exchange of romantic endeavour stories, so I’m waiting._

Noctis swallowed, rubbing his clammy palms on his thighs. If he actually told Ignis about any of his failed romantic attempts, Ignis would realise. But then, maybe not given he seemed so convinced their relationship was strictly platonic on Noctis side.

**Luciel**

_I used to spend all day with my first crush, but recently we haven’t seemed as close. Every year I send him an anonymous valentine’s card but he’s never mentioned it so I guess he hasn’t realised it’s from me. I brought him a necklace a few years ago when he got a promotion in his first job._

That sounded general enough, right? Ignis wouldn’t figure out he meant the skull necklace he always wore, would he? Noctis had brought it to celebrate Ignis officially becoming a Crownsguard but given he’d never seen Ignis wear a necklace before he hadn’t expected him to wear it every day. Probably one of the best things he’d been wrong about in his life.

**Ignis**

_Having received a necklace in similar circumstances, I can imagine how gratefully it was received. I seldom take mine off, and even then it’s only when I cannot guarantee it would be safe. It’s probably my most cherished belonging._

**Luciel**

_Seriously?_

**Ignis**

_Have I given you a reason to doubt me?_

**Luciel**

_No not at all but you’re in love with him, aren’t you? The one who gave you the necklace. That’s why you cherish it so much, right?_

**Ignis**

_I’m not comfortable answering that._

Noctis nodded, mumbling something or other as he processed that. 

The pastries. The necklace. The devotion. The loyalty.

There was no other explanation. 

**Luciel**

_Can I be honest with you?_

**Ignis**

_Certainly._

**Luciel**

_I can’t do this anymore. I thought I could, but I can’t. I’m sorry but there’s someone I want to be with and the more I talk to you, the more I realise that you want to be with this friend of yours, right? So why are you chatting to me and not telling him how you feel?_

It was bold, and he was shaking and convinced this would backfire and saw the three little dots showing Ignis was writing. He questioned if he did the right thing, but dragging this out felt wrong. He’d already learnt far more than he’d intended to find out, and knowing Ignis liked him now there was actually a chance of getting together.

**Ignis**

_Because this was what he wanted for me._

It was such a simple answer, lacking any of Ignis’ usual complexity. Arguably childish, actually. Ignis was only going through with this because Noctis had told him to. When Ignis had checked last week, if this was what Noctis wanted for him, he’d never even considered the wording of Ignis’ question.

For the first time, he understood his father’s warning not to take advantage of Ignis’ devotion.

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
